GTW District Questions

Hey there, I recently applied for a conductor position in Battle Creek. How do the jobs work out of there, as in where do they go and how long are trip times, hotel layovers, time at home, etc...?

Also, how exactly does the extraboard off days work?

I have recent (as in still employed) conductor experience with another class 1, so does anyone know if my health and welfare bennies stay with me or if I will have to get that 4 month/1year waiting period? When I switched from my first class 1 to my most recent class 1, there was no gap in coverage, so would there be any now?

Lastly, what does it look like for furloughing in the district? Every year or not at all?

Thanks for any answers you can give!

Well good luck. I'm a conductor on the Elsdon board (Chicago). You'll be going to Chicago, Detroit, Pontiac, Flat Rock and probably Port Huron. You'll need a passport for when you do go to Port Huron. Layovers are typically 8-10 hours in the hotel and then back to your home terminal (BC). There's a lot of old heads in BC so you'll hear a lot of "back in the day" stories (which I always like to hear when I do work with them). Extra board days are 11 on and 3 off. What that means is that on week you'll have say Wednesday off and the following week you'll have Wednesday and Thursday. You do have to bid your extra board days.

Sorry, I cant answer your benefits question. So far I've been working for CN for a bit over a year. There has been no layoffs yet and so far it's unlikely there will be in the near future. There's a lot of retirements that are going to happen over the next few years. With Hunter in charge though, you never know. Under the recent agreement, you're not protected from being furloughed.

Hope this helps you and I'm sure I'll see you around should you be hired.